Covid-19 situation in Bulgaria still under control

Bulgaria is in the second peak of the first wave of Covid-19. The number of Bulgarians infected with coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic is expected to reach 10,000 in the autumn, mathematician Professor Nikolay Vitanov from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences forecasted in an interview for BNT. Bulgaria’s health system will be overloaded, if the number of Covid-19 cases reaches 300 a day, Professor Vitanov who processes data at the National Coronavirus Headquarters said further. Currently, one person infects 1.3 other people, which means that the epidemic in Bulgaria is developing relatively slow and the health authorities can discover and suppress the clusters of Covid-19 more effectively, the analyst contends.

Heavy traffic at Kulata-Promachonas border checkpoint

Traffic at Kulata-Promachonas border crossing is heavy on Saturday. The cars waiting to cross the border into Greece formed 10 kilometer line. Most people waiting at the border are foreign nationals. The Greek health authorities are carrying out intensified inspections due to the measures against Covid-19. Bulgaria’s Border Police advises travelers to also use Kapitan Petko Voyvoda, Ivaylovgrad and Makaza border checkpoints until Sunday. Only cargo vehicles and seasonal workers are admitted into Greece at the Ilinden-Exochi border crossing. Zlatograd-Thermes border crossing remains closed. Traffic via Nikopol and Kardam resumed at the Bulgaria-Romania border. Traffic is normal at the Bulgaria-Serbia and the Bulgaria-North Macedonia borders. Cargo traffic is intense at the Bulgaria-Turkey border.

Bulgaria reports 182 new cases of Covid-19

182 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours, data of the National Coronavirus Information System shows. A total of 2,538 PCR tests were made in the past 24 hours. The total number of Covid-19 cases rose to 5,497. There are 2,366 active cases. 2,892 Bulgarians have recovered from the virus until now. 90 people were cured in the past 24 hours. 450 patients are receiving treatment in hospitals, 29 of whom in intensive care units. 445 Bulgarian medics have been infected with the novel coronavirus until now. 21 medics tested positive in the past 24 hours only. The Covid-19 death toll rose to 239 people. 7 Bulgarians died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. 6 of them had severe underlying conditions.

Bulgaria demands diplomatic explanation from UK on travel restictions and quarantine

On instructions from Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zahrieva, the Bulgarian Embassy in London sent a diplomatic note to the British cabinet to demand an explanation why Bulgaria is excluded from the list of countries for which travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine will be lifted as of July 10. Minister Zaharieva talked with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for European Neighborhood and the Americas Wendy Morton and asked her about the decision of the UK. The diplomatic note seeks clarification of the criteria on which the decision of London is based, because other countries included in the list have higher incidence of Covid-19. Practically, Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast is coronavirus- free zone and has already attracted thousands of tourists from over 35 countries, the diplomatic note reads.

Bulgaria’s absence from Britain’s list of quarantine-exempt countries is abnormal: Ambassador Raykov

Bulgaria’s Ambassador to Great Britain Marin Raykov told the Bulgarian National Radio that he was extremely bewildered that the British cabinet has not placed Bulgaria in the list of 59 countries exempt from quarantine. Ambassador Raykov told the British authorities that last year 480,000 British nationals visited Bulgaria and that Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast is regarded a zone free of Covid-19. He refused to comment separate countries, but in his view, “Bulgaria’s absence from this list is abnormal”. “Let us not forget that nearly 10,000 British nationals are residing in Bulgaria”, Ambassador Raykov said further. Formally, the decision applies only to England for now, not to the other parts of the UK- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Beaches on Bulgaria’s seacoast are full on the first weekend of July

The beaches on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast are full on the first weekend of July, the Bulgarian National Television announced. The tourism sector shows optimism about this year’s tourist season for the first time. Some hotels are almost fully booked for July. The beach zone at one of Bulgaria’s biggest coastal resorts Sunny Beach is full with tourists. Nearly 40 hotels are working in full gear in the biggest holiday complex in the Southern Black Sea coast. The hotels adopted strict safety measures amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and some of them even opened the position- Covid-19 sheriff. The people employed at this position have to make sure tourists wear face masks, keep the necessary physical distance and observe the anti-epidemic measures.

Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism: Extremely difficult tourist season awaits us

This year’s tourist season will be extremely difficult, but at least there will be such, Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova told the Bulgarian National Television. The tourism sector has been recovering along the Black Sea coast, yet in small steps. More than 70% of the revenues in tourism are formed from the summer tourist product. It is very important to observe the anti-epidemic measures and show responsibility and self-discipline, in order to maintain epidemic situation in Bulgaria at levels that would allow as many countries to resume travel to Bulgaria as possible, Minister Angelkova explained. Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast is free from coronavirus and sea water is clean. In other words, absolutely all conditions are in place to welcome tourists, Minister Nikolina Angelkova pointed out.

Bulgarian farmers to receive one-off payment to the tune of up to EUR 7,000 due to Covid-19

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry presented the support rates for Bulgarian farmers under the extraordinary sub-measure Covid-1. Bulgaria asked the EU to provide financial aid to farmers calculated on all additional costs the farmers make on their arable land and livestock due to the coronavirus crisis. The Commission has rejected Bulgaria’s proposal and offered an alternative option which envisages that Bulgarian farmers receive aid in the form of a lump sum depending on the size of their arable land and the number of their animals and bee families. The payment ceiling for each farmer is set at EUR 7,000, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry announced.

Compiled by: Ivo Ivanov

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